The Masked Heroes
by Kurff Roth'del
Summary: A Gerudo king craves to rule over all of Termina, by any means nessessary. Will a hero rise up to stop him? Or perhaps more than one hero? Takes place 200 years before OoT.


**Author's note: **Since this fanfic takes place 200 years before OoT, some of the landscapes and civilizations in Termina are different than what was witnessed during the events of MM.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters, places, races, items, or weapons in any LoZ game. I do, however, own the characters in this fanfic that do not appear in a LoZ game as well as – but not limited to – their backgrounds and personalities.

**Chapter 1: Tor's Decision**

It was a normal day in the Zora Kingdom, or so it seemed. There weren't many Zora walking through the naturally carved stone halls at the time. Around the corner, one could hear the quick-paced footsteps of a 16-year-old Zora, carrying several scrolls in his thin arms. His name was Tor; he's the only child of Fernando, King Zora's royal advisor. Because of his father's status, it was easy for the young Zora to get a good education. Perhaps a little too easy, Tor always thought.

He turned left and began to climb up a stone staircase with the steps coated in red coral. Tor was named after his grandfather, who deceased when Tor was a mere tadpole. Grandpa Tor is a legendary hero among the Zora Kingdom. Years ago, the neighboring Gerudo pirates attacked the kingdom without warning. At the time, the kingdom had no military; they had long enjoyed times of peace until the Gerudos decided to end it.

Grandpa Tor took it upon himself to start the Zora Military and lead his troops to victory. The problem was that the times of peace had made the Zora race weak and they lost many battles in the beginning. But Grandpa Tor was persistent. Midway through the war, because of Grandpa Tor's good leadership skills and brilliant strategies, the Zora had begun to turn the tables on the Gerudos. The war ended with the Gerudos surrendering and retreating back to their fortress beyond the rock ledge. Grandpa Tor became an icon and his legacy has been past on for generations.

As Tor walked past several apartment doors, he wondered if he'd ever live up to his name…

The teenage Zora walked up another set of stairs. Much to Tor's dismay, there were 11 floors between his family's apartment and his tutor's. The Zora Kingdom of Termina was immense and growing. His father had recently told him that if the population continued to increase at this rate, there wouldn't be enough room for all the Zora to live.

Tor opened the door to his apartment and he was greeted by his mother. "Tor," she said as she gave her son a hug, "you came home earlier than usual. Is everything okay?"

He would have hugged his mom back, but he needed his arms to hold all his scrolls. Instead, Tor gave her a kiss in the cheek. "I'm fine mom," Tor said. "We were able to go over the material quickly today. It was pretty much all review for me."

"That's wonderful, dear." She released Tor from her embrace. Right when she let go, Tor headed for his bedroom. "You're a smart young man, Tor," she said. "If you keep at it, you'll be a great royal advisor, just like your father."

"Yeah…" Tor replied. He entered his room and closed the door behind him.

Tor placed the scrolls on his desk, then climbed into his bed and lay on top of the sheets on his back. To be honest, Tor never really wanted to become a royal advisor. It seemed to him to be a pain in the butt to have a job telling a thickheaded king what to do. _No one ever had to tell my grandpa how to lead the military. He was a true leader._ Although Tor didn't want to follow his father's footsteps, he loved his father and believed that his father was even more intelligent than his tutor, and much more intelligent than King Zora.

Just then, Tor heard his mother's voice in the next room. "Honey. Welcome home! Dinner will be ready soon."

"Livilia. I have some terrible news," Tor's father said.

"What's wrong?"

"The Gerudos…they slaughtered groups of innocent Zora without warning."

"What?" Tor said out loud in disbelief.

"That's horrible," Livilia said. "Why? Why must the Gerudo be such a hostile race?"

"I have no idea," Fernando answered. "But this act of violence will not be ignored. That is why we are declaring war on the Gerudos."

_Another war against the Gerudos,_ Tor thought. He never would have thought that the Gerudos would start another war. He had hoped that his Grandpa's action would prevent the Gerudos from ever thinking about attacking again, but that was clearly naïve. Then, an idea came to Tor's mind. _This is my chance to live up to my name._

With a sudden burst of energy, Tor sprung up from his bed and exited his room. "I heard the whole thing," he said to his parents as he made his way to the door.

"Where are you going, honey?" his mom asked.

With the doorknob in his hand, Tor replied, "I'm going to join the military."

"No you're not! Look, I know you're upset about this whole thing, but you could be a scholar. Not many young men have that opportunity. Why risk your lif-"

"Let the boy join the military," interrupted Fernando.

"Thank you father," Tor said with one foot out the door. He closed the door behind him and made haste toward the recruitment office.

"Why did you let him go?" Livilia asked.

"The boy needs to follow his own dreams. Not mine or yours."

As Tor hurried through the hall, he noticed that there were groups of distressed-looking Zora talking amongst themselves about the recent tragedy. Tor didn't listen closely to their conversations, as he had better things to do.

Tor entered the recruitment office and found a stern-looking Zora with muscular arms and a well-toned body sitting behind a desk. "I wish to join the military," Tor said.

"Excellent," he replied. "What is your name?"

"Tor Fel'nar"

The recruitment officer looked up at him with disbelief.

"Junior," Tor quickly added.


End file.
